


Equestrian

by viklikesfic (v_angelique)



Category: Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-12-12
Updated: 2007-12-12
Packaged: 2017-10-05 18:45:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/44919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/v_angelique/pseuds/viklikesfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gen comment fic response, Fellowship-era about horseback riding.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Equestrian

**Author's Note:**

  * For [absolutefiction](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=absolutefiction).



"Dude, this is no fair," Elijah says as he watches Viggo galloping effortlessly across a field, dragging on his cigarette and sulking. Or rather, Brego is galloping, because Viggo galloping on his own would be pretty fucking ridiculous, and not nearly as graceful as it is when he has a horse underneath him, dressed in street clothes except for the sword and the long leather coat, which he's wearing to get a feel for how they affect his balance. Viggo's left hand is flat on his thigh, and his right grips the reigns loosely, though it looks like the horse, not Viggo, is setting the path and Viggo doesn't care. Crazy fucker.

"What's not fair?" Dom asks, plopping down into the canvas chair next to him and taking the cigarette from between his fingers.

"Him," Elijah says. "The horse. Why don't we get to ride horses?"

"I do," Dom points out. "And Billy does. Later."

"Yeah, but not by _yourself_. You need training wheels," Elijah smirks.

"Fuck off. I know how to ride a horse."

"You do?"

"Sure. Don't you?"

"Well… I went on a trail ride once when I was a kid."

Dom laughs. "Whatever. Hey, Boyd!"

"Yeah?" Billy sits in the grass between Dom's worn leather boots and leans back. Elijah glances to the right and smiles at how, after only a month together, Dom's hand already goes directly to Billy's scalp and starts scritching away.

"Have you ever ridden horses?"

"Fuck, no."

Elijah's surprised by the ferocity of response, because Billy isn't generally so caustic. In fact, he's surprisingly gentle for someone who was initially the least comfortable with the inherent hobbity affection of the set.

"Are you scared?" Dom asks, teasingly.

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Aye. Never liked the shifty buggers. They look at me funny."

Dom laughs gleefully and shoots Elijah a look. "We should go."

"Riding?"

"Sure, why not? We could borrow a few horses of an evening, or Sunday or something. They wouldn't mind."

"I thought we were surfing Sunday."

Dom shrugs. "Change of pace."

"Do you have some sort of sinister plan I need to break up?" Sean asks, joining the other three and standing behind Elijah.

"Horseback riding," Elijah clarifies. "Sunday. You wanna come?"

"I'd better. You're going to bring a trainer, right?"

Dom scoffs. "Trainer? We don't need no stinkin' trainer!" he says in a really rather good New York accent.

"Dom…"

"Relax, Seanie-boy. I used to ride. On occasion."

"We're all going to hell," Sean groans.

"So you're coming?"

"Yeah."

~*~

When Orlando walks up to them in the Craft Services tent later, it's with a cocky swagger that's really starting to drive Elijah crazy, if only because he finds himself irritatingly susceptible to it. He's not a makeup artist or a female Elf extra, though, so he ignores the tug and sips at his tea.

"Hey."

"I hear you're going horseback riding tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Dom says as they all budge over to give him room. "Coming?"

"Sure, if I don't get too pissed tonight," Orlando says with a wink.

"Do you ride?" Dom asks.

"Sure," Orlando says with a shrug. Astin raises an eyebrow at him, and Orlando laughs, steals Elijah's pastry. "How hard could it be?"

~*~

When they get to the designated location after lunch, Sean Bean is standing next to a row of six horses, tied to trees with thick rope, smoking a cigarette. Elijah stares for a moment, but Orlando runs ahead, hyper as always, and jumps on his back. Sean shifts his weight slightly to accommodate the Elf and smiles softly.

"Hello."

"Hi!" Orlando says before he slides down again. "Coming with?"

"Sure," Sean says with a shrug. "Why not? Laughing at you lot is good stress relief."

Billy presses his fingers and thumb to his temples, and Dom slings an arm around his waist, giving him a squeeze. "All right?"

"I don't want to do this."

"You'll have to, eventually."

"But not now."

"It isn't scary," Dom promises. "You'll get the hang of it. You've got good balance, and you're naturally graceful, and you're athletic… and _I_ can do it," he adds with a big grin.

"Flatterer," Billy mutters, though he does smile slightly.

"Need a leg up, hobbit?" Bean offers, and Billy shakes his head.

"Can get myself onto the bloody horse," he declares, and Orlando smirks as he unties a big white one. Elijah watches, hands shoved in his pockets, intending to learn a bit of the technique, but he's obviously not going to find out much as Orli sticks one foot in the saddle, tries to push up, and then stumbles as the horse walks forward a few steps, unconcerned by the human trying to mount him. Orli frowns and tries again, twice, and the same thing happens. By now Dom is doubled over with laughter, his hands on his knees, and Billy looks very pale.

Finally, taking pity on Orlando, Sean holds the horse and Orlando makes his way awkwardly onto the beast's back, flinging himself forward and finally getting into a sitting position in the saddle with Sean's help to get the foot in the other stirrup.

Sean Astin is next, and he gets up without too much difficulty, though he wisely leaves his horse tied while he mounts it and lets Bean untie the rope. Billy is next, and Dom speaks to him quietly for a long minute before he nods, looking as if he's being led to his own funeral, and approaches the horse very skittishly.

"They sense fear, you know," Orlando says, and Dom shoots him a look to kill as Orlando's horse starts trying to walk away again.

"Wheesht," Dom murmurs, stroking the horse's flank through the blanket and then running his hand gently up from just above his nose. "Stand here," he suggests, tugging Billy closer with the other hand even as the older man's body tenses. "He sees what's beside him, see, so let him get a good look at you. Talk to him."

"Tree hugger," Orlando mutters, but they can barely hear him as the horse has now walked off about ten yards to the left, despite how hard Orlando tugs on the reigns.

"Um, hi," Billy says, looking rather sheepish. "Hello, horse."

"He has a name," Dom says, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, but I don't know it."

"Sean? Did you get the names?"

"Aye. That one's Ginger."

"There you are," Dom says.

"All right. Hello, Ginger," Billy tries. Dom produces a sugar cube from his pocket and hands it to Billy, who holds his cupped palm out. The horse immediately seeks it out and starts licking Billy's palm, prompting a startled giggle. "Dommeh, it's… his tongue's warm."

Dom laughs. "I think Ginger's probably a girl, Bill."

"Oh. Right. Sorry, lass. My mistake."

The horse whinnies lightly, and Billy smiles. Elijah can't help but smile as well, and glance at Astin, who winks at him.

"Up you go then, William. Now or never."

Billy sighs and nods and lets Dom help him up, Bean holding Ginger still from the other side. Dom has to grab Billy by the waist to hold him steady in the stirrup so he can swing his leg over, but once he's up there Ginger holds still, and Billy smiles and pats her neck.

"All right, Bill. Hold the reigns in your right hand, see? Put your other hand on your leg; it's okay. You can use your legs to stay sitting up straight. Squeeze your thighs to make him go, or kind of kick in a little. He'll go faster if you do it again. Pull on the reigns to stop, or gently tug left or right to turn. Got it?"

"I think so," Billy says with a worried little frown.

"Don't worry. I'll rescue you if you need rescuing," Dom says, squinting up at Billy through the noon sun with a wide grin.

"Thanks, Merry," Billy says, and Dom gives his ankle a squeeze before he goes to untie another horse.

Elijah smiles to himself as he approaches a dark brown horse, talking gently to him as Billy had. "Hello, sweetheart. What's this one's name, Sean?"

"Chocolate. I think he's a boy."

"Okay. Hi, Chocolate. I'll be your rider today."

Chocolate moves his head slightly and nudges at Elijah's chest. Elijah laughs and walks over to the stirrup, putting a foot in. It's a little high, and he has to bend his knee quite a bit, but he's tall enough at least to get his hands on the saddle, and so with a powerful push he can hop up, thanking sword practice and long days of shooting for his current physical strength. He arranges himself fairly competently in the saddle, and when he looks to his right he can see that Sean is clearly relieved.

Bean unties the remaining horses, including his own, and mounts in a powerful sort of leap, all upper body and very little finesse. Elijah winces slightly when he lands, feeling sorry for the horse, who walks forward a few paces.

"All right," Dom speaks up. "Everyone know what they're doing, then? Elijah, did you hear what I told Billy?"

"Yeah," Elijah agrees, his eyes on Orlando. The Elf is a good forty feet away by now, and he still hasn't succeeded in getting his horse to turn, though at least the great hulking thing doesn't seem intent on moving any faster. Astin looks concerned as well, but Bean just rolls his eyes.

"I'll go fetch him," he volunteers, and goes trotting off after Orlando while Dom leads the rest of them in a neat formation, Billy and Dom next to each other and Astin and Elijah following.

"You okay?" Astin asks, and Elijah smiles and nodded.

"My ass is going hurt like a bitch after this, isn't it?"

"Probably," Sean says with a shrug. "Don't count on me for your massage, though."

Elijah laughs and shakes his head. Sean's horse has a tendency to veer towards his, and then starts whinnying, followed by a response from Ginger.

"What do you think they're saying?" he asks.

"Probably asking each other if they think Dom has any more of that sugar."

Elijah smiled and watched Bean and Orlando slowly make their way back to the group, Bean riding alongside Orli with both sets of reins in his hand and Orli looking very sheepish.

"So, where to?" Dom asked, looking over his shoulder.

Elijah shrugged. "Anywhere's fine with me."

"To anywhere, then!" Dom announced, striking a triumphant fist into the air and nearly falling off his horse. Billy just giggled and reached out to give him a hand.


End file.
